Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Holidays are always fun to celebrate, but why wait a few months for the next major one to arrive when you could be enjoying some nice edible food holidays everyday of the month?

March 1st, National Peanut Butter Lover's Day- This has to be one of the greatest national food holidays of the year, or at least for the month of March. Go and make a couple of PB and J sandwiches for lunch on this day.

March 2nd, National Banana Creme Pie Day-While it still may be a little cold outside, why not enjoy a tropical banana cream pie for dessert....if you want a little more tropical, add some coconut.

March 3rd, National Cold Cuts Day-This national food holiday is perfect for an evening when you're too tired to cook. Just stop by your local deli and pick up some favorite sliced meats and some soup.

March 4th, National Pound Cake Day-What could be more delicious than a piece of pound cake served with some strawberries and whipped cream.

March 5th, National Cheese Doodle Day-This national food holiday is easy to celebrate. Grab your favorite cheese doodles and a soda and crash on the couch and watch some t.v.

March 6th, National White Chocolate Cheesecake Day-This is another national food holiday of pure pleasure for the stomach.

March 7th, National Crown Roast of Pork Day-This isn't something you wear on your head. This is more upper crust food, usually done around Thanksgiving or Christmas. Just take the easy way out and barbecue some nice, thick pork chops.

March 8th, National Peanut Cluster Day-Sure you can go out and buy them....but why not try and make some, they really aren't that hard.

March 9th, National Crabmeat Day-Seafood is such a wonderful food to help you forget about the chilly nights. Make a seafood stew with crabmeat in it.

March 10th, National Blueberry Popover Day-Popovers are good on their own....add some blueberries and enjoy them even more. Served with some bacon, eggs, and cereal.

March 11th, Oatmeal-Nut Waffles Day-A not too guilty about something that's good for your body.

March 12th, National Baked Scallops Day-If crab wasn't enough to get you over your cold weather blues, why not have some scallop fettuccini.

March 13th, Coconut Torte Day- I'm not crazy about coconut. But if you like it go get some Hostess Sno-balls and pig out.

March 14th, National Potato Chip Day-This has to be what a majority of people have been waiting for. Make yourself a sandwich, some soup and grap a bag of your favorites.....

March 15th, National Pears Helene Day-I'm not much of a fan of them either...maybe you could poach some for you and your sweetie...with some vanilla ice cream.

March 16th, National Artichoke Hearts Day-My wife loves these, I'll give her a shout out for this one....HHHHEEEEYYYY!

March 17th, Corned Beef and Cabbage Day- Let us give thanks to the Irish for this one.

March 18th, Oatmeal Cookie Day-What better way to celebrate this one....by making a big batch with your children.

March 19th, National Chocolate Caramel Day-Go out and split a candy bar with yourself.

March 20th, National Ravioli Day-Go open a can of them, pop it in the microwave and watch a little t.v.

March 21st, California Strawberry Day-Slice up a bowl full of them, put them over some ice cream and drizzle a little chocolate of the whole thing....YYUUUUMMMM!!

March 22nd, Coq Au Vin Day-If you don't like complicated dishes that require a full day in the kitchen, do yourself a favor and head to a nice French restaurant and leave it to the experts.

March 23rd, National Chip and Dip Day- Another day for snackers around the world to unite, raise a chip high in the air and dunk it in some tasty dip.

March 24th, National Chocolate Covered Raisins Day-Time to hit the candy isle for this one, or go out and see a movie, they usually have them there.

March 25th, Pecan Day-Stop by the bakery on the way home and pick up a Pecan pie.

March 26th, Spinach Day-Also known as Popeye Day, UUUKKK!! UUUKKK!!UUUKKKKAAAA!!!..."He's strong to the finish, that's why he eats his spinach. He's Popeye the Salor Man"!!!

March 27th, National Spanish Paella Day-Takes alot of time to make...you may want to go out and have someone make this for you.

March 17th, St. Patrick's Day-Don't forget to wear something green and don't drink too much. If you don't drink, go out and have a nice dinner of corned beef and cabbage! I will also be having a story about the history and folklore of St. Patricks' day coming soon....so stay tuned.

March 18th, Rubber Band Day-Get your child a rubber band gun and let him wreak havoc on your pets and his siblings.

March 19th, Swallows Return to San Juan Capistrano Day

March 20th, Kiss Your Fiance Day-It could be a nice day to kiss your wife today also!

March 22nd, International Goof off Day-I always look forward to a day where I can goof off and not have to ask permission to do it! YYYYYAAAA!!!

March 23rd, Near Miss Day-A good day to almost get a traffic ticket.

March 24th, Kick Butts Day

March 25th, Letting Go of Stuff Day- The day that every hoarder refuses to celebrate.

March 26th, Make Up Your Own Holiday Day- Isn't that how we get all of these other non-national holidays? We just need something to celebrate 24/7/365 days of the year!!

March 27th, Viagra Day- For all of the older people in the world....just don't hope a STIFF wind starts blowing.

March 28th, Weed Appreciation Day-Oh those poor, poor weeds.

March 30th, Doctor's Day- Help your doctor out and go get some kind of exam today...so he can pay his bills.

March 31st, National She's Funny That Way Day-The only time of year that we need to laugh at our significant others jokes.

Week Long Celebrations in March﻿

The first week in March is National Author and Illustrator Week. Be sure to visit the library and check out some of your favorite authors and illustrated books.

The first week in March is National Shoe Week. As winter is coming to an end and spring is just around the corner, go through your closet and get rid of those worn out shoes or if you have children, they are probably growing out of some. Give those to a charity for the less unfortunate.

The third week in March is National Bubble Week. Celebrate with a bubble bath for you, your kids or maybe that dog in the family that hasn't had a bath in about 2 or 3 months.

Month Long Celebrations in March

March is Let's Go Fly a Kite Month, National Umbrella Month, National Frozen Foods Month and National Crafts Month. So many celebrations, so little time to do them in.

Perhaps the most cheerful holiday in Russia is Maslenitsa (Shrovetide). This holiday is considered to come from pre-Christian times, when the Slavs were still pagans.
In the old days, Maslenitsa was for remembrance of the dead. So the burning of the figure of Maslenitsa means her funeral, and blini (pancakes)-coliphia. But with time, the Russians longing for fun and entertainment turned the sad holiday into jolly. Maslenitsa with blini-rounds, yellow and hot as the sun, sledding and horse sleigh's, fistfights and visiting with your mother-in-law . The rituals of Maslenitsa are very unusual and interesting because they combine the end of the winter holiday rituals and the opening of new spring festivals and ceremonies, which were used to promote a rich harvest.

Maslenitsa is celebrated during the week preceding Lent. Every day of Maslenitsa was devoted to special rituals.

Monday

On Monday, Maslenitsa was welcomed. On this day people made the straw stuffed figure of Winter, dressed it in old women's clothing and sang songs, while carrying it on a sleigh around the village. Then the figure was put out onto a snow covered slope that people used for tobogganing, which was considered not just fun, but an ancient rite, because it was thought that the one who came down the hill more than once was likely to have tall flax (good crops of wheat) in the summer.

Tuesday

Tuesday was called "zaigrysh" (game Day). From that day on, the whole village started all sorts of activities: sleigh rides, folk festivals, skomorokh (traveling actors) and puppet shows. The streets are full of people in carnival costumes and masks, many of them visited the homes of their neighbors and organized impromptu concerts. Large companies rode troikas and simple sleighs.
Pancake Week in 18th century Moscow, was hard to imagine without bear shows. Bear fun was very popular among all the classes of the people, in the towns, cities and villages. Trained bears amused the audience, imitating girls putting on makeup in front of the mirror or women baking pancakes.

Wednesday

Wednesday-gourmand-opened feasts in houses with blini and other dishes. Each household has tables with delicious foods, baked pancakes, and brewed beer. Tents selling all kinds of food appear everywhere. They sold hot sbiten (drinks from water, honey and spices), nuts, honey gingerbread's and poured tea from boiling samovars.

Thursday

On Thursday-revelry-became the outcome from all of the fun and games that happened during the day. It was then, that fistfights took place (usually from drinking too much alcohol).

Friday

If, by Wednesday the son-in-laws were treated with pancakes in there mother-in-laws house, on Friday it would be their turn to arrange the evenings meal with blini. On the day before, mother-in-law's would send to the son-in-law's house, everything necessary for the making of blini: pans, ladles, ingredients, etc. and the father-in-law's sent a bag of buckwheat and some butter. The disrespect of the tradition from the part of a son-in-law was considered a dishonor and an insult; it was a reasoning that they would be on the scorned by their in-law's.
Special attention during Maslenitsa was paid to conjugal relations: couples, married the previous year were honored and celebrated. The newlyweds were put in the spotlight in their villages, they were forced to kiss each other in public, shoes and straw were sometimes thrown at them. Sometimes people could come to the home of the newlyweds and kiss the young wife. Tradition required that they dress semi-formal and go out to public meeting places in a painted sleigh, pay a call to all who had visited their wedding, and go down the icy slope under the accompaniment of a folk song. Maslenitsa was the time for mutual visits of families, which recently became related.

Saturday

Saturday was devoted to relatives paying a visit to the young couples homes.

Sunday

Sunday was named "forgiveness" day. On that day people asked each other for forgiveness for all grievances and troubles from the previous year. In the evening, people went to cemeteries and "bid farewell" to the dead. On the last day of Maslenitsa, comes the most interesting event-saying goodbye to Maslenitsa-a solemn burning of the stuffed figure of winter. People throw the remnants of pancakes and food into the huge bonfire , telling their children that all the nourishing food disappeared into the fire and to prepare for Lent.

The end of Maslenitsa

Maslenitsa ends with the first day of Lent-making a clean Monday, which was considered the day of purification from sin and fasting from forbidden foods. On Clean Monday, people usually took baths or showers; women wash dishes, cleaning the grease and the remains of the forbidden food.

In this East Coast-style breakfast treat, a tender sour cream coffee cake is topped with a thick layer of cinnamon-scented streusel.

Ingredients

topping

1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted, warm

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

cake

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 large eggs

1 1/3 cups sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

topping

Mix both sugars, cinnamon, and salt in medium bowl and whisk to blend. Add warm melted butter and stir to blend. Add flour and toss with fork until moist clumps form (topping mixture will look slightly wet). Set aside.

cake

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat room-temperature butter in large bowl until smooth. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating until well blended after each addition. Add sour cream and vanilla extract and beat just until blended. Add flour mixture in 3 additions, beating just until incorporated after each addition. Transfer cake batter to prepared baking dish; spread batter evenly with rubber spatula or offset spatula. Squeeze small handfuls of topping together to form small clumps. Drop topping clumps evenly over cake batter, covering completely (topping will be thick).

Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean and topping is deep golden brown and slightly crisp, about 1 hour. Cool cake in dish on rack at least 30 minutes. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool completely. Cover and let stand at room temperature.

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A LITTLE BIO FOR YOU

I am passionate about Halloween and Christmas. Many nights spent in the lab making and creating new props and decorations. I have been married for 25 years and have teenage twins (a boy and girl). I like 80's rock, all kinds of sports,thriller and action movies. I also moonlight as a pastry chef/baker.